Barrel washing and rinsing machine



May 16, 1 939. F. c. CHAPMAN BARREL WASHING AND RINSING MACHINE Filed Nov. 16, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 16, 1939. F. c. CHAPMAN BARREL WASHING AND RINSING MACHINE Filed Nov. 16, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Ii C. Chap/n an BY --8J AL ATTORNEY Patented May 16, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BARREL WASHING AND RINSING MACHINE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to the cleaning out or washing of barrels which are used to contain solids as well as liquids, such as mincemeat, lard, olives, etc.; my principal object being to provide a machine having a means for agitating the contents of barrels containing a washing fluid so as to impart an effective washing action to the fluid; a means to enable the washing fiuid to be drained from the barrels and replaced by rinsing water; and a means for then agitating the barrels to impart an effective rinsing action to the water.

A further object is to provide a machine for the purpose arranged so that the above operations may be carried out in a continuous sequence and with the aid of only one or at the most two operators.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device, and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section of one form of my improved machine.

Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the same.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section showing a releasable driving connection between the rocking and loading racks of the machine, taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the machine comprises a suitable base I resting on the floor of the washing room.

Extending lengthwise of and mounted on the base in off-center relation thereto is a horizontal shaft 2 which supports upstanding V-shaped frames 3 of different heights. Supported on the top of the arms of the frames 3 and extending therebetween are T beams 4, with their stems facing upwardly and spaced apart a distance greater than the total length of any barrel B. These beams of course have a downward slant from end to end on account of the different height of the supporting frames. A-shaped cross members 5 extend between the beams at their ends. Angle rails 6 facing each other are supported on and extend lengthwise of the beams 4 on the adjacent sides of their stems and are mounted for lateral adjustment, said rails forming the supports on which the barrels rest at their ends, as indicated. This adjustable mounting may be effected in various ways. In the present instance, it is shown as comprising pins mounted in the bottom flanges of rails 6 and projecting through lateral slots in the adjacent bottom flange of the beams 4 thereunder. This arrangement is shown in Fig. 2. The length of the beams 4 is such that a number of barrels may be supported thereon in abutting relationship, as indicated in Fig. l, the lower cross member 5 holding the lowermost barrel from rolling off.

The barrel supporting washing rack thus provided is rocked laterally about the shaft 2 as an axis by any suitable means. In the present instance this means is shown as being a driven cross shaft I mounted on the base I and extending under the beams 4 intermediate their ends. A pair of eccentrics 8 are mounted on said shaft in opposed relation and directly under said beams, the eccentric straps 80. being swivelly connected to the under side of said beams.

Disposed alongside but transversely spaced from the above described washing rack is the rinsing rack of substantially the same length. The construction shown in this rack also comprises T beams 9 with laterally adjustable barrel supporting angle rails l0 mounted thereon. These beams are disposed with a downward slant in the direction opposite to that of the washing rack, and at their upper ends are on the same level as the lower end of the washing rack beams.

The rinsing rack is supported for longitudinal shaking movement in any suitable manner, such 35 as by means of hanger arms ll supported from standards l2 mounted on the base I. To prevent undue rolling movement of the barrels with this movement of the rinsing rack, cross members l3 are provided between the beams 9 at their ends to confine a certain number of barrels therebetween.

The rinsing rack is shaken lengthwise through a stroke of any desired length by pitman rods I4 swivelly connected at one end on said rack and 45 extending lengthwise thereof toward shaft 1. At their other end, the rods are connected to eccentrics on shaft 1, as indicated in Fig. 1.

It is here to be noted that the members 5 and- I3 of the two racks while preventing the barrels from rolling off the racks of themselves are not of such height as to interfere with the manual rolling of the barrels onto or off the respective racks.

In order to successively transfer the individual barrels from the lower end of the washing rack onto the upper end of the rinsing rack, I provide a turntable platform l5 disposed beyond said ends of the racks and mounted for movement about a semi-circular track l6 supported from the base I. The platform carries a number of rollers I! to support a single barrel, said rollers being disposed to engage the barrel as soon as the latter rolls over and clear of the adjacent member 5 of the washing rack. The axial pin P of the turntable is so disposed relative to the two racks that the rollers I! will lie in symmetrical relation to the barrel supporting rails of the respective racks when the turntable is rotated from one limit of movement to the other.

A barrel may be easily transferred from the rocking rack onto the rollers of the turntable irrespective of the rocking motion, adjusted if necessary to aline it with the rails ii! of the longitudinally movable rack, and rolled onto said rack after the turntable has been rotated, regardless of the shaking movement of said rack.

To conveniently load a barrel onto the head end of the rocking rack, so as to receive said barrel between the closely confining rails 6, requires however a special loading device. This is constructed as follows:

Mounted for limited oscillating movement on the shaft 2 beyond the upper end of the washing rack and separate from the same are the end frames E8 of a loading cradle l9. This is of similar construction to the washing rack, but has a length sufficient to only support a single barrel which is placed thereon by hand and while said cradle is stationary. In order to releasably connect the loading cradle and washing rack together so that the supporting rails of the two are alined, and thus permit the barrel on the cradle to be rolled onto the washing rack while the lat ter is rocking, I provide suitable manually operable clutch or connecting means.

In the present instance this is shown as being a normally retracted pin 2E] mounted in an end frame 18 for axial movement parallel to the shaft 2 to engage a socket 2i in the adjacent frame 3. A pedal lever unit 22 of suitable character is mounted on the shaft 2 and is arranged when the pedal is depressed to advance the pin toward the socket. In this manner when the socket,

with the oscillation of the washing rack, alineswith the pin, the latter enters said socket and the loading cradle will be rocked also, allowing the operator to roll the barrel from the cradle onto the washing rack.

In operation a row of barrels containing washing fluid after being loaded onto the washing rack to fill the same are individually and successively withdrawn from the lower end of said rack and onto the turntable. Here the bung is withdrawn, the barrel is rotated to rotate the bung hole so that the fluid will drain out. The barrel is then again rotated to bring the bung hole on top, the rinsing water is inserted and the bung is replaced. The turntable is then rotated to aline the same with the rinsing rack and the barrel on said turntable is rolled onto said rack; the lowermost barrel on the latter having been withdrawn onto the floor so as to leave a space for the barrel from the turntable. The remaining barrels on the washing rack roll by gravity toward the lower end of the same, leaving movement at the top for a barrel from the loading cradle.

It is of course understood that the barrels are by no means filled with the washing fluid or rinsing water, and the agitating movement given the barrels on the different racks causes the liquid to slosh violently back and forth, giving a most effective washing and rinsing action.

It will therefore be seen that the washing and rinsing operations may be carried out continuously, the length of the washing and rinsing racks being determined by the length of time it is desired each barrel shall be Washed or rinsed. For instance if the racks are long enough to hold three barrels and two minutes is required for each transfer operation, each barrel will be washed and rinsed for six minutes.

While I have shown the racks as being disposed in side by side relation, it may in some cases be more satisfactory to place them in line, with the transfer support or cradle for draining and refilling the barrels, disposed between adjacent ends of the racks. The rack agitating mechanism would of course require rearranging also, but it is obvious that the spirit of the invention is maintained with either arrangement.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as to not form a departure from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A barrel washing machine comprising a rack having means to support a row of barrels thereon, means to agitate said rack, a loading cradle disposed beyond one end of the rack and adapted to support a single barrel on a common level with the adjacent end of the rack, means mounting said cradle for agitating movement in the same direction as said rack, and means to releasably couple the rack and cradle together in alinement with each other whereby a barrel may be rolled from the cradle onto the rack regardless of the agitating movement of the latter.

2. A barrel washing and rinsing machine comprising separate barrel supporting and rinsing racks, means to transversely rock one rack and means to longitudinally shake the other rack; there being means between the racks to assist in the transfer of a barrel from one end of the washing rack onto the adjacent end of the rinsing rack.

3. A structure as in claim 2 in which said rack shaking and rocking means comprises a driven shaft extending transversely of the racks under the same, eccentrics on said shaft, and swivel connection elements between the eccentrics and racks.

FRANK C. CHAPMAN. 

